History and Human Stories Videos

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  Sharing Cultural Traditions: Making an Arrow Point

  Meet Cultural Demonstrator, Ben Cunningham Summerfield (Mountain Maidu and Turtle Mountain Chippewa) from the Indian Cultural Program in Yosemite National Park. Learn about making an arrow point out of obsidian. Obsidian was a popular trade item coming from tribes in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

  Duration:

  2 minutes, 17 seconds

 

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  Sharing Cultural Traditions: Making a Work Basket

  Meet Cultural Demonstrator, Emily Dayhoff (Southern Sierra Miwuk and Chukchansi) from the Indian Cultural Program in Yosemite National Park. Learn about gathering and making an open twined willow work basket. Willow is one of most common basket materials used in the Yosemite region.

  Duration:

  2 minutes, 18 seconds

 

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  Sharing Cultural Traditions: Making Cordage

  Meet Cultural Demonstrator, Eric Nelson from the Indian Cultural Program in Yosemite National Park. Learn about gathering dogbane and making it into cordage (string). Dogbane, also known as Indian Hemp is found throughout the meadows in Yosemite Valley.

  Duration:

  1 minute, 58 seconds

 

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  Obata's Yosemite

  With generous support from Yosemite Conservancy donors, Yosemite National Park is proud to present Obata's Yosemite. Join us as we celebrate the extraordinary life of Japanese American artist Chiura Obata, which included his incredible artistic talent such as the watercolor and woodblock prints of Yosemite and his writings on "Great Nature." This film also highlights his art school while incarcerated at the TanForan Detention Center then later at Topaz concentration camp.

  Duration:

  14 minutes, 54 seconds

 

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  Chinese History in Yosemite

  Did you know that early Chinese immigrants played an important role in shaping the Yosemite that we know today? Join Park Ranger Yenyen Chan on an exploration of this impressive and surprising history.

  Duration:

  7 minutes, 32 seconds

 

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  Chinese History Camp Song

  Join Ranger Connie Lau in an interactive camp song as she shares about the rich history of Chinese immigrants in Yosemite's History. This video was made possible by a grant from the National Park Foundation.

 

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  Uncovering Yosemite's Chinese History

  Park Ranger Yenyen Chan shares the history of the Chinese Laundry building located in Wawona, along with information and artifacts uncovered that have taught us more about the role Chinese played in Yosemite's history.

  Duration:

  3 minutes, 30 seconds

 

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  Yosemite's Buffalo Soldiers

  Yosemite's Buffalo Soldiers highlights the work of Yosemite ranger Shelton Johnson and his rediscovery of the story of the African American soldiers who patrolled the parks of the High Sierra at the turn of the last century. Shelton tells the story in the dramatis personae of a Buffalo Soldier himself, directly engaging visitors in a way that is immediate and often high impact. For more on Ken Burns' The National Parks, America's Best Idea visit: http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks

  Duration:

  11 minutes, 31 seconds

 

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  A Century of Road Trips on the Tioga Road

  Have your ever jumped in your car and headed for the mountains to escape the summer heat? The Tioga Road has provided an escape route to Yosemite's breathtaking high country for more than one hundred years. We celebrate a century of road trips on this cherished travel route, and look forward to another one hundred years of scenic high country adventures.

  Duration:

  7 minutes, 13 seconds